The Gree--er, Black Friday that Ignited a Sales Race

America’s System is back. Rejoice!





Microsoft’s XBox One, spurned by a great price cut, some awesome third-party games, Nintendo’s foot-shooting strategy with Smash Bros., the awesomely-valued Halo Collection, a wonderful Black Friday performance, and the gaming industry enjoying its everlasting growth, has finally come full circle and eliminated the demons from Summer 2013 shenanigans. It is now the highest-selling system in North America and although its still leagues behind Sony in Europe and will never make an impact in Japan, the fourth quarter of the year has been kind to the Green Machine.

Microsoft has learned to embrace its image of being America’s gaming system as opposed to its weak strategy of marketing itself as an “entertainment machine.” The XBox 360 outperformed the Wii AND the PS3 during the seventh generation, while the original XBox survived solely because of American gamers’ love for the Halo. But the company took a serious hit when it attempted to implement a DRM/strong individualized system that sounded very bad on paper for a community of consumers that is extremely social within its circle. Sony took off running by repeating its PS2 strategy, leaving Microsoft scrambling to develop a new image.

Now with the Tony Hawk-inspired and American-appealing Sunset Overdrive, third-party hits GTA V, Assassin’s Creed, Call of Duty and Destiny (some of these sell better in the XBox as opposed to the PS4), and the high value Halo Collection, the attractive games are now flowing to the stores and a stronger resume is building for XBox One. Granted the price cut (which did wonders for Black Friday) stays, its officially the best deal in the business as it has stronger online support (despite Sony having the far better reward system), similar game lineup to PS4 (although the first-party aspect needs some overhauling), and it’s just a smidge more expensive than the underpowered WiiU. It developed the right price tag and although it won’t make as much of a dent in Europe, things are looking good in the rest of the Western Hemisphere.

In order for the success to continue, the first and second party department needs to step its game up. Rareware needs to open up its vault and unveil some Blast Corps, Jet Force Gemini, LEGIT Banjo-Kazzoie, and lastly some Perfect Dark. Halo cannot be the only rider guiding this ship (Master Chief Collection hasn’t broken 500,000 despite the awesome positive press), we need more shooters and action games to continue the Blockbuster image. And then maintain good relations with third-party developers (Nintendo….take notes) and the indie industry. Hey, Puerto Rico is trying to chime in on the industry by providing tax benefits. Just saying.

To make things short, the XBox One has officially entered the race by conquering Black Friday, gaining some life, and creeping up 10 million in sales thanks to a boost in American support. Sony pretty much owns everything east of the Atlantic Ocean currently but that doesn’t have to be bad news. Microsoft can run after the rising Hispanic community, and even take on South America. Then of course slowly keep pace with Sony in Europe and who knows. Do recall the PS3 was in dead last until the final two years of its run—and wound up just 6% market share underneath the Nintendo Wii (when at one point everyone was trailing by at least 20-25% market share). They are a few good decisions and a few big games from potentially turning the tide in their favor.



The XBox One after a poor start is back. Definitely officially back.

WiiU: The Other DS

Smash Brothers for WiiU has finally arrived, and after years of anticipation we have finally seen the newest iteration of the grandiose franchise that has accounted for around 30 million in sales within 15 years and only 4 games. And after all the remarkable reviews, after all the hype, all the TLC given by Nintendo, after the Conan appearance, and after all the hardcore gamers seeing a nice lineup boasted by Namco and Sega support, just how well did it do?

Approximately 500,000 on opening week. Couldn’t even get first place. And couldn’t even outsell a remake of a 10-year old Pokemon game. It got destroyed by Pokemon, nullified by Grand Theft Auto, and couldn’t even defeat FarCry. This is Nintendo’s most important release in quite some time and those weak opening numbers are quite disappointing. And with looming reports of WiiU getting stomped in the Black Friday rush, there really isn’t much reason to believe in Nintendo rising out of the cellar in the eighth generation console wars.

Now, I can yell until I turn blue in the face as to some of the mistakes Nintendo has committed this year, and even with this game. No Melee re-release to hype up the next installment ala Halo Master Collection. Not much of a title (Would it kill you to give the game a proper title?). Not much of a commercial to advertise the much-anticipated game. And of course, no price cut/bundle combination strategy that has been used very successfully by Microsoft and the XBox One.

But even if Nintendo got all of this right, there is a good chance that the WiiU will not only absolutely miss the success of the Wii, but will absolutely get destroyed by the competition. And there is a simple, simple reason why: The Nintendo 3DS believe it or not.

Funny, I feel like I had written slightly about this before......

......but it bears repeating because its getting much, much worse. Especially with the WiiU still not hitting a nerve in the Western Hemisphere.

The WiiU has become a hybrid of a mediocre gigantic version of the 3DS with the totally-forgotten family-friendly anti-hardcore image of the Nintendo Wii. The WiiU has failed to shake off the bitter aftertaste of the Wii while at the same time fail to provide a lineup of games that gives the remaining Nintendo fans reason to purchase the system---and not because they are bad games but because there’s a cheaper alternative to every single one of their better efforts:

WiiU:
Smash Brothers WiiU
Mario Kart 8
New Super Mario Bros. U
Super Mario 3D World
Zelda: Wind Waker
Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze


3DS:
Smash Brothers 3DS
Mario Kart 7
New Super Mario Bros. 1 and 2 (Hooray for backwards-compatibility)
Super Mario 3D Land
Zelda: Ocarina of Time
Zelda: Majora’s Mask
Zelda: A Link Between Worlds
Donkey Kong Country Returns 3DS
Star Fox 64 3D (I am throwing that in there because the WiiU is getting a Star Fox game)



The 3DS is cheaper, offers more games, offers cheaper games, is portable, and has Pokemon---something still lacking in console Nintendo systems. So honestly, why fork over $300 and get the WiiU when there is a similar lineup of games in the cheaper handheld while at the same time having a far better Virtual Console and a far better consistency of new games?

The WiiU is lacking an independent identity, and its killing its chances of taking off. The Nintendo Wii right off the bat knew what it was, a family-friendly, cheaper, simpler approach to gaming and it absolutely worked—while at the same time distance itself from the also-unique DS. The WiiU came out and in the midst of the delays and lack of software, we didn’t really know what to expect. The PS4 is PS3 on quality steroids, the XBox One is a machine of pure American entertainment. How would you describe the WiiU? Honestly? With the touchscreen, basically an expensive HD 3DS. It will even have DS games in the Virtual Console in the near future.

It needs some separation from the 3DS and extremely fast if it plans on ever being even slightly relevant. And even in the Virtual Console aspect there NEEDS to be some separation. WiiU needs Gamecube (and even some Wii games) and needs to stay away from the N64, GBA, and DS games that are associated with the 3DS. We are also talking about new IPs, bringing back old forgotten IPs (Golden Sun, seriously, where is it?), and making sure that the next installment of the popular IPs feels like the next step forward. Look at GTA IV and GTA V. Look at Metal Gear Solid IV and look at the upcoming Metal Gear Solid V. Now look at Super Mario 3D Land and look at Super Mario 3D World. Lastly look at Donkey Kong Country Returns and look at Donkey Kong Country Tropical Freeze. Which game combinations look and play the most alike?

You need to give the WiiU some experiences that you can’t experience on the 3DS. We are talking about the MMORPG Pokemon, we are talking about the massive open-world Mario game, we are talking about the Metroid game that has the epic Halo feel, we are talking about the massive massive sequel to whether Star Fox, F-Zero, Golden Sun, or whatever hardcore franchise has seen minimal action in the past half-decade; and lastly we are talking about that Zelda game that requires Skyrim amount of hours to finish.

The biggest drawback to Smash Brothers WiiU sales, were the phenomenal sales of the 3DS installment. And that connection alone is the perfect allegory to what is happening to the WiiU---its value is being diminished by the more attractive sibling. The Nintendo WiiU needs a massive makeover otherwise it will become another Gamecube: decent powerful system, great games, but nobody bought it....

Mario Kart 8: 50cc Gaming in a 150cc Gaming World

I wanted to like Mario Kart 8.

I wanted to love Mario Kart 8.



I wanted to acknowledge the effort they made into smoothing out the mechanics to be fairer, to be faster, more creative, and to still maintain the family-friendly magic that has resonated with the franchise for two decades. I wanted to acknowledge that thanks to DLC there are more tracks, more characters, and more vehicles than ever before. I wanted to acknowledge the nice polish that had been given to the franchise. I wanted to so badly become immersed like I was back when Mario Kart 64 became the pinnacle of multi-player and arcade-like racing (and nobody outside the Burnout franchise had come even close to challenging that until Forza Horizon).

But the truth is, Mario Kart 8 once again is proof that Nintendo scales back on some of its quality punches and saves them for the next installment, as opposed to going 150% all-out to deliver the ultimate Mario Kart experience, and to deliver a sure-fire reason to own a WiiU. Mario Kart 8 is good, it might be great. But it’s still not a console-seller, it’s still not going to turn heads the way past Nintendo games like Super Mario 64, Ocarina of Time, Smash Brothers Melee, and Wii Sports did. And what really harms Mario Kart 8 is that for the same price you see a competing system release an entire anthology of its biggest franchise---4 games, all with a fresh coat of paint, upgraded visuals, and a massive, massive multi-player mode that blends it all together.

Halo: Master Chief Collection is 4 Halo games in one massive package, a package that includes the original and updated looks of the original two Halos, while remastering and tweaking the latter two installments. At just $60, you get hundreds of potential gameplay hours between multi-player, single-player, and online gaming---while getting new cutscenes from each of the games! This is allowing for the XBox One to have a breath of life this upcoming holiday season as they did another necessary price cut and have now been outselling the PS4 in the United States market. With a little more European love they can cut off the lackluster Japan sales and challenge PS4 for the crown in 2015.

Mario Kart 8 on the other hand once again has the same 32-course setup from previous Mario Karts. Once again, they inexplicably downgraded the battle mode, which is absolutely stupid how they can’t figure out a way to simply expand the idea of Mario Kart 64’s battle mode. Seriously, it’s not that hard: add new items, add new courses, and allow customizable rules. It is NOT THAT HARD NINTENDO!!

Mario Kart 8 also managed to even water down some of the classic courses, which makes little sense considering how awesome some of the new levels were. Toad’s Turnpike, Yoshi’s Valley, and N64 Rainbow Road are shorter, easier, less chaotic, and overall very ho-hum. Gone are the classic block bombs for some odd reason. Gone are the lap times and even overall race time from the grand prix. Why?!?!? Wait, why is there no way to see how my stats change depending on vehicle?!?! Wait, I don’t earn anything after earning 3-stars in all the Cups?!!?!??



THE BATTLE MODE NINTENDO, WHYYYYYY!!?!?!?!?!$(*#()*%(*#&)&(*#*)*$)*#)*$**#(*$&()*$)$


Worst of all, is all the history behind Mario Kart, and it doesn’t fully get utilized. Have we been watching all the insane features and throwbacks the Smash Brothers series has delivered? Why can’t we have an SNES Cup, an N64 cup, a Gamecube Cup, a GBA Cup, or a DS Cup? That is 80 potential courses to pick from? What sounds better: Mario Kart 8 with upside-down racing and superior online play? Or Mario Kart 8 with 100 courses, each online-capable? We are too technologically advanced in the gaming world to ever say that it might be hard to pull off; especially after seeing what Forza, Forza Horizon, Gran Turismo 5, and Burnout Paradise was able to deliver in the previous gaming generation. In a gaming world where Halo’s entire catalog runs at $60 and we can get full gaming experiences at prices of $3, $5, $10, we deserve better from Mario Kart.

Let’s have some more fun. Why not throw in some F-Zero tracks since we are already in the futuristic approach to racing? Why not Stunt Race FX? Why not Kirby’s Air Ride? Why not Diddy Kong Racing? Why not Crusin' USA/World/Exotica? Why did we kill the battle mode Nintendo? The Game Boy Advance version of Mario Kart (the underrated Super Circuit) had the entire SNES catalog. This tradition should have continued on Double Dash with the N64 circuit (which to me still has the best mix of courses in the franchises’ history).

I don’t get it, I honestly don’t. I want to enjoy this Mario Kart, but to be still so closely attached to Mario Kart of the 90s and 2000s while scaling back on even more features makes this a very frustrating experience. While seeing all the effort being given to Smash Brothers, one can only wonder what would happen if Nintendo fully dwelled and gave Mario Kart the time and love required to create the perfect installment. Give another gaming company a chance to contribute, give it a few extra years of work (look what GTA V accomplished after extra time to polish) and see what you can deliver. Make me be happy I spent $60 on you.

I want my Mario Kart to have more than just 32 courses pre-Mirror Mode and DLC. I want my Mario Kart to hit Gran Turismo territory with 70+ places to race in. I want my Mario Kart to reward me for being a good racer as opposed to coins and a few gold stars. I want my Mario Kart to have courses that doesn’t just test your skills, but can also test your endurance and patience (N64’s Wario Stadium comes to mind). I want my Mario Kart to allow me to experiment with shortcuts and secrets. And lastly, I want my Mario Kart to keep it simple while expanding the concept as opposed to improving some aspects and disappointing in others.

Will Mario Kart 8 make money and be a Nintendo hit? Of course it will, but unlike what Super Mario Kart and Mario Kart 64 accomplished, don’t expect it to leave a mark in gaming history. Mario Kart Wii was a forgettable mainstream hit, Mario Kart 7 was ho-hum, and this one was wasted potential thrown out to the public to keep extremely frustrated WiiU owners from burning their systems and switching to the other side.

The bar in gaming has been raised. And just like what has happened to Zelda (Still not fully recovered from Majora’s Mask), Mario (Mario Galaxy back in 2007 was its last earth-shattering game), Donkey Kong (Still lacking the personality of the SNES installments), and Pokemon (Not even going to talk about it) in recent years, Mario Kart is struggling to reach this new bar. Time to grow up. Don't just improve some things, improve everything. Step up to the plate boys, give me a full complete game. Otherwise you will see movement in software----but not in the hardware.




What hampers my complaining the most is that the damn game is still fun……..

The Convoluted Bundle Wars

Welcome to the Bundle Wars. The very confusing Bundle Wars.


Check out that bundle........and notice its from the previous generation...............


Currently in the lead is Sony, who seems to be doing everything right. Even though they are becoming the most expensive system out there come November, they have the mighty and powerful Grand Theft Auto 5 supporting them. GTA V will be bundling with new PS4s in the Japanese region, European region, and if we American gamers are lucky, the American region. Sony might just be waiting to see if Microsoft or Nintendo is pulling out any surprises. That being said, it should be a sure-fire deal to make this deal a reality in the North American borders….it would make sense…right?

Microsoft has a Halo Bundle…..for Japan. No announcement for the United States getting the same deal, despite being dead last in the Eighth Generation and trailing Sony by a landslide. And despite the price cut, still no big bundle announcement to become the second major blow to the main competitor Sony. Now at $350 it only trails the might-as-well-be-non-existent-yet-it-still-won’t-die Nintendo WiiU. Microsoft needs to expand its horizons and not look like just a system with shooters. With two good Forza games, a San Andreas upgrade, and Sunset Overdrive Microsoft should really consider expanding its bundle options to deliver the best deal in the market. Until then, it just looks like a less-expensive PS4 with fewer games.

Of course, Nintendo has the biggest hand of them all. Never mind Call of Duty, never mind Grand Theft Auto 5. Nintendo has the awkwardly and rather uninspiring-titled Super Smash Brothers for WiiU coming out in November (Why wasn’t it called Smash Brothers Armageddon or Smash Brothers 4?) yet there is no mention of a bundle. How incredible would it have been if Nintendo announced a Smash Brothers Melee/HyperMelee bundle that would include the game, the Gamecube controller, AND Virtual Console access to Smash Brothers Melee? How much sense would it make for Nintendo to fight Microsoft’s price cut with the announcement of the Virtual Console finally expanding to Gamecube games?

Despite all the success from the three systems, their potential is still exponentially off. Sony needs to create the GTA V Bundle and make it for everybody, don’t be exclusive. And hey, why not also throw in a Last of Us Bundle? You are now the most expensive system in the market, so you need to crank up the value of the system while awaiting the next major game. Although you are winning the indie and third-party market, that can only take you so far until its obvious you need a first-party AAA title pretty soon.

Microsoft. For goodness sakes, Halo is a beast in the United States----where is the bundle announcement?!? You are dead last, with few prospects outside the Halo border for 2015, why aren’t you…never mind, I am done with you.

Nintendo, I am also done with you. Not bundling Smash Brothers, your biggest game in about a decade and extremely crucial to the future of your system, is a silly idea. Still not having Gamecube games in the Virtual Console is also a silly, silly idea. And still charging $5-$10 for NES and SNES games when the XBox 360 got a revamped PS2 game at just south of $4 is undeniably city.

As of now, nobody is winning the Bundle Wars, because nobody has figured out how to correctly market to American gamers that have yet to make their decision. And Black Friday is just four weeks away.





Pick it up people….

The Non-Existent and Suddenly Now Required Hype Machine of Nintendo

Look at this trailer. Honestly, take a good look at it. It doesn’t reveal too much plot but unveils enough content to get you excited for a movie that is still many, many months away. And when that time finally, finally comes it will dismantle the box office and will handily walk away with millions of dollars without a single review actually affecting it. Marvel and Disney have now become the kings of hype in the Hollywood business. They have taken familiar properties and made each movie a major event, a major chapter in the comic book universe. And unless there is a total, epic flop to the likes of a Green Lantern, then we are going to see their strategy remain consistent for years to come.




Activision has essentially copied this strategy by making every November the month of the Call of Duty. They have thrown three different companies to make these games to ensure that there is no cancellation, no delay, no issue, and a meticulous consistent schedule. With the video game industry being as cutthroat as ever, Activision’s yearly delivery of Call of Duty games has been a near miracle, and the astounding success that follows shows that gamers don’t mind the product in the least bit. And with the upcoming version releasing for the XBox One, PS4, PS3, and XBox 360 we will be sure to see more great financial numbers arriving for what has become the biggest third-party publisher in the land.



Notice we are missing a company in there…





Nintendo has once again lost another third-party franchise because of its WiiU still utterly lacking in third-party sales. And this leaves Nintendo without a consistent presence in the month of November. Yes granted they do use the month often, but there isn’t an anticipation for the month unlike that of the online FPS community with their Call of Duty. What Nintendo is totally lacking is their convincing of American and European gamers to look forward to November and a consistent output of video games. Even though we have seen plenty of Super Mario on the WiiU, we have yet to see Zelda, Samus, Kid Icarus, Fox, Captain Falcon, Kirby, and even Pikachu make some noise on the system.

Nintendo needs to adapt the Marvel technique of releasing games. Nintendo needs to set release dates for popular franchises well ahead of time and build the hype through posters, through trailers, through sneak peeks from other games, and through perky rumors that will invade the Twitter and Gaming Universe. No more secret release dates, no more uncertainty until merely months before the actual release, and biggest of all no more scattered release dates. They need to realize that great games will die a quick death if given an awful release date no matter how good it might be. Eternal Darkness was a psychological horror video game released in 2002 in the month of-----June. If they had simply waited until late September/early October in the Halloween season we probably would have gotten a different result. Nintendo has a strong brand connection and needs to find a way to keep the hardcore crowd excited while entice the curiosity of those looking from outside the bubble.

Pretend like Nintendo tomorrow unveils this upcoming major gaming lineup:

Super Smash Brothers 4:
November 2014


Star Fox: Alpha Unit:
September 2015


Metroid: Extinction:
November 2015


The Legend of Zelda: Beyond the Grave:
September 2016


Super Mario World 3: Triple Threat:
November 2016


Pokemon Universe:
November 2016

Wouldn’t that entice curiosity out of you, even if it might be years before you actually see the game? Wouldn’t it stir up conversation? Wouldn’t it stir up the slightest bit of controversy seeing this lineup? Now, not all games have to attach a long-time-from-here release date, but the major franchises deserve this hype, deserve the press months before the finished product even arrives. And you and I both know that we will see most (hopefully all) these franchises on the WiiU, so why not give us some anticipation to chew on? Why not give us a couple first-looks and first-glimpses to get us excited? Give us small trailers, some awesome posters, something.

Avengers 2 is still 7 months away and it is the most discussed movie of the entire month of October. And that was all because of a trailer. Nintendo’s brands and franchises and fanbases are strong enough to draw the similar type of hype. You can’t spit a small E3 trailer and be done---remind us of what’s coming. With Nintendo pretty much being all by itself with this generation, it needs to churn out as much as possible out of the exclusive IPs that it owns. Smash Brothers this year would be the perfect jump-starter for these other franchises to grow some fans, grow some hype, grow some anticipation, and give the Nintendo WiiU some desperate life.



Nintendo, you have great ideas being done by talented people. Let the world be aware of this.

Stepping out of the FIFA Shadows

NBA Jam, now slightly forgotten by the new generation of gamers, was a massive, massive hit back in the 90s. It was an arcade gem that was easy to learn, easy to play, easy to get addicted to. It would make its way into the Sega Genesis and Super Nintendo, while at the same time catapulted the NBA into new popularity heights nationwide. NBA Jam turned most of these players into household names and the league experienced a nice growth of youngsters that started getting involved with the NBA season. Even teams like the Charlotte Hornets, whom was rarely ever a threat in the playoffs, were extremely popular with kids and teenagers as their logo colors became a fashion statement.

Now I bring up NBA Jam because there is a league that could benefit from such a popularity spike through the power of video games. Major League Soccer has been attempting to inch its way into the territory of the Big Four (NFL, MLB, NBA, NHL) for the past several years, with its popularity remaining a bit stagnant and still not quite getting the required love of ESPN and Fox Sports. With the superior European leagues suddenly getting a boost because of the World Cup, MLS’ growth amongst soccer enthusiasts has improved but only slightly. But if there’s a way to entice a new generation of fans, the gaming industry can definitely be a starting point:



EA and MLS needs to make an exclusive game together.



Yes, MLS is on the wildly-popular FIFA franchise that has quietly emerged into the new Madden. But it has to sit on the shadows of an entourage of superior leagues with superior teams and superior players. It needs to separate itself from the pack and become its own entity. It needs to develop a brand all on its own. It needs to become an accessible, easy-to-play, arcade-gaming soccer franchise with all the big names from MLS. Not saying this will save the league, but any type of positive exposure would definitely help.

Soccer games believe it or not have always been wildly successful, even if few companies actually bother to make them. From FIFA (100 million sold) to Pro Evolution Soccer (81 million sold)  to the Mario Strikers franchise (4 million sold between two games and minimal marketing---wait, where is the 3DS version!!?!??) soccer does well considering it’s the most popular sport in the world and the one that has the attention of the most countries. Now how many of these countries know a lot about Major League Soccer? I assure you the answer is very, very little. But the NBA also used to suffer from this before the 90s when the Dream Team/NBA Jam tag team made the league an international brand. Now in the global scale, the NBA is bigger than even the NFL.

In order for MLS to grow, it needs to slowly but surely distance itself from Europe and become a more confident brand. This means less connections to the more popular leagues, from television exposure to the game industry. EA would win by becoming the exclusive shareholder of the MLS brand garnishing it the extra sales from a March soccer video game release (Before the MLS season starts) and then later in September with the FIFA annual release.

The sports gaming industry has seen better days, as even Madden has taken a few steps back in its success scale. But I firmly believe that if MLS finds a way to remove itself from the FIFA lineup and become its own gaming franchise we can see plenty of success coming from EA and the league itself. Think about it, there is very little competition in March in terms of video games; coming out with an arcade-like soccer game in the middle of spring break would be perfect to collect a new young crowd.

MLS 15 won't solve all the league's problems, but with some effort it could open the door to new opportunities.

How Destiny Went Hollywood to Survive the Negativity

So, you are a big gaming company with a big video game coming out. At least $300 million was spent on this game. At least.


You secretly realize that your game may not turn out as well as you planned.


Gaming journalists are highly anticipating getting their first look at the game before it releases to the public. So the question is, do you give it to them and absorb the upcoming mediocre reviews? Or do you limit the pre-release reviews, limit the press, and just allow for the opening weeks to attempt to win back the money coldly spent on the heavy marketing and the game itself? Well of course Bungie and friends chose the latter, launched a layer of journalism controversy when the reviews started arriving, and it overshadowed the great opening week. Also overshadowing the criticisms were the barrage of cool commercials flying left and right on all your cable networks.

Time will tell if the seemingly vengeful reviews will negate some of the sales in the long run but one thing is for certain: the 2 million it gained on opening week can overcome any obstacle leading up to it. Taking a page from the Hollywood Blockbuster, we are seeing an increase in companies releasing AAA titles with extreme hype and plenty of incentives on that opening week before anybody can realize how flawed it just might be. While smaller and indie games depend on the good reviews (more so than movies to be honest) to make its way to a successful run, the blockbuster strategy allows for companies like Activision to just have a good hype train to make back its money before the criticism can even arrive.

Call of Duty owns November every single year---no matter how bad the game may or may not be. American gamers love familiar shoot em’ up/online territory, and Call of Duty has become that go-to franchise. Selling 9 million at least per game since Modern Warfare 2, Call of Duty claims the month of November, starts the hype from the summer, and allows for the dedicated fanbase to do the rest. Movies do best in the summer, while video games do best in the fall---especially in the months of September (Halo, Grand Theft Auto 5) and November.

Video game creation is tough, because making games that have the AAA look cost more than ever. They cost the amount of a summer film. So the goals in the past 5-7 years have shifted to instead of catering to the gaming journalists that can spread the good word around, they decided to invade the ad space of popular websites and invade the television sets. Long gone are the days when Mario Kart: Double Dash got a 7.9 from IGN and launched a wave of controversy. IGN and Gamespot don’t have the power of before, and we see magazines and websites like 1up and Gone Gold falling by the wayside.

The Hollywood trend has been in gaming for a while, but Destiny is arguably the first example of a game that not only managed to overcome the negative reviews, but managed to overcome the gamer outcry and gaming website’s seemingly disdain taste for the new franchise. And this might be the sign for things to come as now places like IGN don’t get the easy access to new games if the big companies don’t believe in it. Destiny survived the Twitter negativity, and few things can ever survive Twitter hate.

Although I don’t see Eastern Hemisphere gaming giants like Nintendo tread down this path (Nintendo doesn’t even really believe much in the power of having the right release date) Western Hemisphere companies like Activision, EA, and Ubisoft follow suit with focusing its budget more on marketing and less on the game itself. It might come off as cruel and misleading to the gaming public but consider this: the gaming industry doesn’t allow for you to flop and survive. Flops can cripple the biggest of gaming companies no matter what the track record is. Midway Games did amazing in the 90s with NBA Jam, NFL Blitz, and Mortal Kombat. Now it’s in the middle of Chapter 11. The gaming industry is cruel, and every possible edge will be used to ensure that the companies of today don’t fall like the companies that struggled to get out of the 90s and 2000s.

Although video games make more money than movies nowadays, expect gaming companies to look as summer blockbusters when figuring out a way to churn out guaranteed hits. It has worked for Call of Duty (a franchise that never releases a game with more than 2 hours of single-player gameplay) and Destiny (A seemingly incomplete and bugged-out game)---so expect the strategy to expand.

The Minecraft Purchase and the Difference Between Riding the Wave and Crashing it

So Minecraft is now owned by Microsoft.




The world hasn’t quite exploded yet.



Mojang was purchased by Microsoft for 2.5 billion several weeks ago making the founders filthy stinkin’ rich but also sending the gaming and online community into a nervous wreck. After all, Microsoft has destroyed companies here and there during its run towards the top of the entertainment industry. In the gaming spectrum, Microsoft still hasn’t been fully forgiven for what they did to the once-gigantic Rareware. So now Microsoft owns the money-making machine known as Minecraft and the question is what it means going forward with the franchise and the company associated with it.

Well Microsoft can take Minecraft in two directions: ride the wave of success and continue collecting the profits that the game continuously delivers; or gamble and make it an Xbox/Windows exclusive and potentially crash the wave.

Microsoft can continue making it available to all platforms, all systems (besides Nintendo of course—even though it would make a great condensed 3DS game), and all computers—and cash in on the billions it has made over the past few years thanks to sales, merchandise, expansions, etc. Or they can decide to make the next variations and versions exclusive to the XBox, the Windows computers, and the Windows phones. Although you would lose some profits since the product isn’t as widespread, it would potentially add lots of value to your own products. Can you imagine the potential of Forza or Halo Minecraft? Can you imagine special patches involving Microsoft exclusive franchises?

Microsoft can also allow for those YouTube channels featuring Minecraft playthroughs and creations to continue to grow and flourish and not attempt to harm them. After all, Minecraft started out with no publisher and managed to grow into a powerhouse because of the Twitter Era. Or Microsoft can scan around and try to stop the videos and creations much in the way Nintendo stupidly attempted to go after the Let’s Play entourage of Nintendo games.

The point is, Microsoft has purchased a company that made gold out of dirt, and now the ball is in their court. The Windows Phone market share in the smartphone industry is a bare 2.5%. The XBox One is dead last, even trailing the critically-panned Nintendo WiiU. Apple continues to dominate the tablet and PC industry. Mojang could be the indie, low-budget solution that Microsoft desperately needs. Nintendo has first-party glory that has remained unmatched for two decades and will keep them afloat for as long as the circle of developers continue to stay in the radius. Sony has a pure stranglehold on the indie gaming spectrum, as it now has the top online service amongst the Big 3.

Outside of a great online program that is slowly losing out to Sony and the few remaining exclusive franchises, what does Microsoft have left? Titanfall, Forza, and Dead Rising have not moved hardware, and then we have Halo peering more and more behind Call of Duty’s shadow---which is also a franchise in the Sony side. Mojang can be that solution. Look at all they pulled off with one simple indie video game. So the question is do they want to use Mojang and Minecraft as one of their playing cards to keep? Or keep Mojang as the same likable indie company much in the way Disney lets Pixar run its own course (supposedly)?

I might be making a big deal out of this, I really might be. But at the same time I was a strong supporter of 90s Rareware and watching its downward spiral in the early 2000s was almost as bad as Sega’s. Microsoft needs to learn from them as opposed to try to take advantage of their new purchase. At the same time however, if Microsoft wants to truly profit they would allow the continuing success of Minecraft and not do a single thing to change it. Expand the company, keep it indie, and allow them to work their magic with a larger budget. Who knows what creations can come from them? And who knows if their upcoming projects can turn the XBox around? Sometimes all it takes is one game to dominate a generation: just ask Wii Sports, Donkey Kong Country, Super Mario Bros., and Grand Theft Auto: Vice City.

One thing is certain: Mojang is doing everything right while Microsoft is still trying to get back on its feet in the Console Wars. Learn from them----do not change them. This was a mighty good purchase as long as you don’t attempt to alter their ways.





That 2.5 billion can pay off significantly-----as long as Microsoft allows it to.

Super Smash Brothers WiiU: Nintendo's Biggest Game in Nearly 10 Years

Hear me out, and this is the truth:



Super Smash Brothers for the WiiU is the most important video game in Nintendo’s long history since Wii Sports. The entire future of Nintendo is riding on the success of this game---which is shaping to be potentially the biggest triumph since Mario Kart Wii’s 32+ million rundown back when the Wii was king and Nintendo was raking profits like there was no tomorrow.

We all know that Smash Brothers will become a success, but the question is just how much hardware can it move? Can it make the WiiU more relevant and push it towards the crown currently being held by PS4? Can it remove the bad stench of the WiiU’s slow start (and seemingly constant denial from Nintendo)? Just what exactly can Smash Brothers accomplish? Nintendo is banking everything on this one game, with the 3DS counterpart being its sneak preview (which will also deliver plenty of sales, especially with the cool-looking Smash 3DS coming out).

Want more proof of Nintendo’s pure and utmost dependency on this game? Namco is working on this, and Nintendo rarely ever allows third-party companies to work on their first-party franchises—even though I have mentioned how this strategy should be explored more often. They took a proven company that has a popular and successful fighting franchise to lend their touches on what is now the top fighting franchise in the entire game industry. The amount of third-party characters has even increased, as Pac-Man, Mega Man, Sonic, and maybe even Snake will make an appearance. You can make your very own character to use in the game. Over six different composers have worked on the soundtrack, and the CD is available for free as long as you register your two Smash games.

The controllers that are being issued. You can use the Wiimote, use the Wii Pad, use the Virtual Console controller, and then we have a special Gamecube throwback controller being sold prior to the game’s release. We already have tournaments on this game and it’s not even out to the public yet. The game seemingly has taken note of every request fans have made, from customizable characters to new third-party characters, to enhanced online system, and even a (sort-of) ranking system.

The marketing. Nearly every week there are new announcement and updated news about the game, and Nintendo is usually extremely hush-hush about their projects. It has had its own Nintendo Direct conferences online to maintain the exposure in the gaming world. It had a tournament in the middle of E3. The upcoming game is also tied to downloadable content specials that are being shown in the WiiU and the 3DS. You cannot escape this game. If only Nintendo applied this amount of marketing to its other games.

So the question, what is left? Nintendo’s final step has to be bundles---lots and lots of bundles. We are talking bundling Smash Bros. 4 with WiiU systems in different colors, with different features, different memory sizes, and maybe other options like music CDs, Gamecube controllers, etc. Nintendo needs to guarantee that you can’t breathe the WiiU life without having the game close to you. Smash Brothers is notorious for reviving franchises (See: Earthbound, Fire Emblem, Kirby, and to a lesser extent even Metroid) so it would be extremely beneficial for new owners to have this game to see the different gaming worlds Nintendo usually offers. Who knows, maybe Mega Man can once again rise to the prominence it used to have in the NES/SNES days.

Everything is being thrown to make Smash Brothers 4 a success. Depending on the impact it makes this holiday season will determine whether or not the WiiU can ever churn out Wii-like profits, and whether or not Nintendo has to re-evaluate the way it makes and distributes games. It all boils down to this game, this holiday, and the world’s reaction.

Smash Brothers 4 will determine whether the WiiU can go down the path of the 3DS (slow start, ferocious run) or the Gamecube (sustains minimal sales, with few hits here and there).

Should Sega Buy Capcom?

The amount of articles I could write about how Capcom should be bought immediately will reach infinite status, guaranteed. This is prime property, prime good ol’ money-making potential. Sony should buy them. Nintendo should buy them. If Disney has a way around the legal system, they should buy them. If Microsoft had a shot, they should buy them. The point is Capcom is the cinematic version of LucasArts, a company run by all the wrong people, but has all the right stuff to turn it back around.

I have already mentioned how Nintendo would be the absolutely perfect fit for Capcom’s new home. But let’s change the stakes just a little. There is a company out there with enough money to buy the stock necessary for said takeover. It is a Japanese company with plenty of American experience, and as of now has the finances necessary to get this job done. Lastly, if anyone is willing to make a big splash in the gaming industry, it would be these guys.





What about Sega?



Can you imagine if Sega forked over the money, became the primary owner, and single-handedly altered the landscape of the industry? Can you imagine Sega being allowed to pick and choose who they want to make games for, which Capcom franchises belong to which systems? Sega can hold the Mega Man, Resident Evil, and Street Fighter franchise practically hostage. While other companies in the third-party realm are indeed bigger, most of them are from the Western Hemisphere and are unable to create that strategy.


Now let’s look at Sega’s other option: competing in the console wars once again.



This one is far more a long shot because of all the risks involved and because the wound of Dreamcast still feels fresh (You don’t think so? 15 years ago Sega was third in the console wars. 10 years ago they became a third-party. Pretty sure it still stings). But if Sega were to expand their profits, developing a successful console is the way to go. PS4 is selling at a record pace. The Xbox One actually has one of the best first-year runs in gaming history, and it’s in third. Lastly Nintendo despite a pure lack of software and third-party support is etching in second place while inching towards 84% market share in the handheld market.

The money is indeed there if you are just competing, this isn’t the 90s anymore. The only reason Sony is reporting losses is because of their other fields being very unsuccessful, especially the television division. But the eighth generation is proving to be the most profitable, as the game lineups from all three systems have remained ho-hum, but are still selling like hotcakes. So why not see a Super Dreamcast in the future? Sega has proven to be innovative with its hardware capabilities, and all they really need to do to make an impact is improve the software (Not sure Sonic has gone back to Sonic and Knuckles quality just yet).

The hardware idea is much more a pipe dream because I am sure Sega will be more than satisfied remaining low and just developing games for everyone else. But the stock value and the quality value of the Sega name will increase dramatically if they can claim the sinking Capcom. Sega’s brand name has been rather fleeting since 1999, and that run needs to end very soon especially when you see companies like Rockstar and Activision put up heavy numbers.

If none of the Big 3 is interested, then Sega should definitely take the gamble, pay the millions, and create the takeover. Its lineup of available franchises will practically quadruple, and it will create possibilities in the software division, the hardware division, and even in the arcade division (where Sega reigned heavily once upon a time). This is a pure win-win situation for Sega, no doubt about it.

Seriously though, gaming companies, one of you needs to stop fooling around and just buy Capcom. Make the world a better place.

How Nintendo Conquered E3 2014

E3 2014 will be known as the E3 that was dominated by Nintendo.


Let’s start with Sony and Microsoft. Both did a great job maintaining their audience happy thought their conferences. Neither unveiled too many surprises, but had a steady flow of games and good news to keep the console war interesting. Microsoft kept the FPS community totally enthralled after their news about the upcoming Halo game that features all 4 games and all the multi-player maps. Sony brought out their big guns with Uncharted and Little Big Planet. Both companies also displayed third-party games and how good they will look on their representative systems. Lastly, Grand Theft Auto 5 being released on all platforms was just great news for the gaming community altogether.




But Nintendo delivered the big guns, the big surprises, and came out swinging wildly from the first second on.


With the help of Robot Chicken, an extremely over-excited commentator, a successful Smash Brothers tournament, a cool action sequence featuring Nintendo presidents, and the ability to stretch out the good news over more than just one day, Nintendo single-handedly brought the fight on and pretty much all but guaranteed 2015 domination.They didn't throw any numbers, didn't apologize, didn't preach hope. All they did was hand out new game after new game after new game.



The new (remake) Pokemon games. The Nintendo figures that each carries its own distinctive stats. Smash Brothers WiiU. Smash Brothers 3DS. Pac-Man being in Smash Brothers. The ability to put your character as a fighter in Smash Brothers. Star Fox reveal. Zelda WiiU revealed and displayed (beautifully). New Kirby game. New game featuring Toad. New “X” trailer. 3DS RPG by Level 5 with help from Studio Ghibli. And a few surprising exclusives to round it all out. Nintendo needed software, and it delivered software by the droves. There was an infinite amount of attention given to the fleeting WiiU, and yet focused the second day on the 3DS to even up the love.

Nearly every problem the WiiU has presented over the years had been addressed, dealt with, and countered within the 48 hours of E3 so far. Lack of software? Not anymore. Pointless gamepad? Not anymore. Too much Mario? Not anymore, as not one Mario game was mentioned this year. Not enough indie games? Over a dozen Capcom games for Virtual Console in the upcoming year as well as its rising amount of low-budget games. Not enough new IPs? Well, we have Fantasy Life, Devil’s Third, and Splatoon around the corner. Nintendo managed to calm nearly all the criticism flames by unveiling the most diverse lineup amongst the Big 3 systems.

Some can and will argue that Nintendo had the most to recover amongst the three, as the PS4 is hitting record sales and the XBox One isn’t doing half-bad until you leave the Western Hemisphere. But Nintendo delivered the requirements and took it even farther. Although some will say it’s too little too late after the years of Wii neglect and the abysmal WiiU start, but for those that did indeed have hope this E3 should definitely make you a believer. The WiiU has a long, long way to go, but it is most certainly heading in the right direction.



Nintendo you needed to do something, fast, and you definitely didn’t disappoint.

Now time to make due with all the promises.

The E3 2014 Requirements For All Three Systems

E3 2014 is just around the corner, and with the XBox One matching the PS4 in prices, the summer and remained of this year will become a hotly-contested arms race, as it is no longer the PS4 with the overwhelming best deal. E3 will definitely become the forecast as to how the rest of the year is going to play out. Will the PS4 continue dominating? Will the WiiU finally start its chase for first place? Can the XBox One get out of the cellar? This E3 might be able to provide the hints. Each of the major players has yet to unveil much as to what is coming, but they each do have some requirements.



We shall start with Sony and the PS4/Vita. The Playstation Vita is getting absolutely destroyed (16% market share is a joke) and perhaps the only way to truly save it is become more of a system for the Japanese and Far East gamers. So for the Vita we should be talking more JRPGs, more fighters, more content from the likes of Capcom and Square Enix. The original PSP stayed relevant because of its impact in the Japanese gaming community. 20 million PSPs were sold in Japan, which was more than what they sold in America, and that’s in a country with 200 million less people.

The Vita needs to Final Fantasy it up; seek out old-school RPGs and new-school RPGs to remain relevant in the Asian market. To compete directly against the 3DS is no longer a feasible option, as it will continue to struggle to go up against the androids, Apple products, and smart phones. More games, and more appealing games is the solution. Don’t look like a PS3/PS4-lite, provide your own arsenal of software that is unique from everyone else.

The PS4 is doing fantastic, and that’s without much of a first-party showing (so far). However, this E3 is their chance to really make waves by throwing out some of their flagship franchises like Gran Turismo, Uncharted, Last of Us, God of War, among others. Can we potentially see a Crash Bandicoot reboot? A new Little Big Planet? Perhaps something brand new? Either way, Sony can win simply by maintaining its awesome online software lineup, maintaining its third-party connections, and not flubbing up and ruining a good thing. Gamers are now more than ever willing to fork out the big bucks as long as the games keep coming; and the record-setting sales pace of the PS4 is proving this.



Microsoft crafted a PR nightmare last year with the DRM disaster that was never fully explained, never fully thought-out, and was just met with Twitter/Gamer outrage. So this year, stop the non-gaming nonsense and focus on becoming the ultimate system for online play, for action-packed shooters, and the top billing for blockbuster games. While Sony owns the indie market and currently owns the genres of adventures and RPGs; the big-budget gems belong to Microsoft. Forza, Halo, Gears of War, and Fable are amongst the biggest games out there. We need more of these gorgeous immersive games to be promised to the fans if Microsoft ever plans on escaping the cellar. And unlike Nintendo and Sony, Microsoft has more money to throw, more money to spend, and more resources to make this a reality. Rev up the XBox Live, and pump up the big games. Sometimes all it takes is that one huge game to truly push the sales forward---look at all that Grand Theft Auto 5 last year accomplished.

But seriously though Microsoft, gamers don’t care about the TV shows, about the NFL connection, or any of the multi-media nonsense. Stay away from all of that by any means necessary.




Lastly, we have Nintendo. The WiiU is currently the cheapest system, currently also the system in most need of good news. They need software, and lots of it. And unlike the PS4 and the XBox One, Nintendo has the best opportunity to rev back into the past and deliver more games than anyone else out there. The Virtual Console for the WiiU is missing DS, N64, and Gamecube games---amongst those three systems that’s easily over 200 potential games to re-release for a new audience. HD remakes of past Nintendo classics could also help---like Smash Brothers Melee, Metroid Prime, Majora’s Mask, Super Mario 64, Mario Sunshine, Eternal Darkness, Mario Party (2, preferably), among many, many, many others.

But don’t just stop there Nintendo, we need more of your heavy-hitters. We need to see a new Metroid, a new Zelda, a new true-blue 3-D Mario adventure, and perhaps even some transitions from handheld to console from the likes of Pokemon (most obvious answer), Golden Sun, Professor Layton, Phoenix Wright, and even Wario Land. We need to see updated and modernized versions of classic franchises like Mario Golf/Tennis, Kid Icarus, Fire Emblem, and to an extent even Zelda (Which needs to achieve Elder Scrolls-like scope without question). Nintendo’s reputation for excellent game has always trumped its questionable business decisions, and all it takes is a game to the quality of a Super Mario Galaxy to bring the company back on its feet. But software is its biggest issue, and the biggest point that needs to be driven home this E3. And just focus on the WiiU, and save the 3DS news for a later date in a Nintendo Direct of some sort. But the WiiU needs all the love, all the focus, and all the saving.

This E3 should be another fun one, as the companies are now closer than ever in terms of competition and claiming the crown. All it takes is one wildly good bit of news to swing the momentum. Its just a matter of seeing who will deliver the biggest blow.

The Travesty of SoulCalibur: Lost Swords

Namco, you have tainted a once-great fighting game franchise.



SoulCalibur once upon a time was the top fighting game released that wasn’t called Street Fighter II: Turbo or Mortal Kombat II. This fighting game was the first of its kind to receive so many awesome reviews, and it made 3D fighting the new direction of the genre. It ushered a new era of gamers, and gave the Dreamcast a short breath of life before its inevitable death.

So surely a game with perfect reviews and praise from every corner would find a way to continue selling a decade later, right? Even with the same company working on it, right? Even with the fighting mechanics and successful formula still intact, right?

Well.............

Somewhere along the lines, Namco thought it would be a great idea to make their next game pay-to-win. Somewhere along the lines, Namco thought to make the game free and charge you for everything.


Insert SoulCalibur: Lost Swords.


The game is only single-player. You can only choose from three characters. You have to buy your way to earning more powerful weapons to survive. The game has no ring-out. The game has no counter ability. Some of the deep fighting mechanics have been removed. You need to buy the other characters and their alternate costumes. THE GAME HAS NO MULTI-PLAYER. REPEAT, A FIGHTING GAME HAS NO MULTI-PLAYER!!


Are you kidding me? Seriously?

The producer of the game mentions that he doesn’t want to alienate the new gamers by putting them in online multiplayer against the heavier-spending veterans, which is why he made the game free to start, simplified everything, and shielded them from the good Soul players. And the logic here is confoundedly ridiculous. How can you possibly grow your franchise if you are not going to allow communication between the players? And let me remind you that this is a fighting game, and stripping the multi-player from a fighter is like removing the storyline from an RPG—it is a game-killer no matter how good the rest of the game might be.

And you just released Soul Calibur II in its entirety a mere year ago at just $20 on the XBox and Playstation online stores. Why wouldn’t I just go back to that game instead of putting up with a free game that is a mere shadow of what the SoulCalibur series is all about? Why would I even look at this game? Gamers aren’t stupid, any game that is free is whether a trap or just a Facebook game. There’s no such thing as a highly-acclaimed free-to-play, play-to-win game.

Similar to Capcom’s ridiculous Breath of Fire 6 decision, this SoulCalibur game is going to wreck the reputation, image, and overall perception of the franchise. What was once an unforgiving, tough, hardcore cluster of games is suddenly opening up to entice new players by removing some of the layers that made the fighting games great in the first place. The saddest detail in all this is how Namco doesn’t seem to see the terribleness in all this nonsense. This is just going to confuse the newcomers, anger the gaming community, and make the hardcore fans absolutely livid. Nobody wins here, nobody.

Namco, Soul Calibur VI better be absolutely amazing, and it better be a game-changer. Because after the stupidity of SoulCalibur V, Legends, and (especially) Lost Swords, you owe us, bad. And I am not sure VI, VII, or VIII can bring you back to the successful Arcade/Dreamcast days.

June: The Month That Might Belong to Microsoft

Summer 2014: The Leveling of the Eighth Generation. The true arms race begins.

Microsoft became the last company to separate itself from the motion-control gaming that had taken the world by storm, but then became an afterthought as soon as the seventh generation ended. Now there are XBox One systems that are about to be sold without the Kinect connection. Now the price of the XBox One will match that of the PS4. This is now a direct competition; this is now an arms race to see who can muscle out more copies when the price is streamlined to the $400 price tag (Which I had predicted from the start would be the perfect price for a next-gen system).

Not only will June be the first month of XBox One’s new sexy price, but we also have E3 literally lingering in the distance. Nintendo dropped the ball and missed out on their entire year of opportunity to separate itself from the pack. Now, Microsoft has a great opportunity to make waves, make some noise. They are now playing Sony’s game, and it is now entirely up to them to improve upon the rules.

The XBox One is in the ultimate desirable price. All connections to the Wii Era are pretty much gone. Halo 5 will happen next year for sure. The Halo Series is also within this distance to give the third Green Machine some value. And lastly, we have E3 to give the XBox a chance to prove as to why it should be the system to purchase over the equally-priced PS4. Microsoft needs to improve its software lineup, and absolutely overhaul its online store system and somehow attempt to even come close to Sony’s amazingly cheap, valuable, and awesome Playstation Store.

Japan should not even be in the equation. Microsoft needs to focus mainly on Europe and maintain its American appeal. Although it is neck to neck against Sony in the States, the XBox is far behind in the European region. Unlike Nintendo, Microsoft now knows who the leader is, and must follow the right path before attempting to dethrone the leader. Improve the game lineup, improve the online section, and stop trying to bill yourself as an “entertainment” system. This no longer works, we want games, and the first of the three major systems to actually unveil a healthy amount of software will win this war.

Let’s be honest, the PS4 is getting by on a weaker software lineup simply because the competition up to this point have made tons of critical mistakes. Not anymore. Although Nintendo’s Mario Kart/Smash Brothers combination may not be enough, XBox One’s price cut and promising E3 just might provide the fuel to start a close race that we’ve currently been lacking.

This summer, the competition might actually begin, because so far it’s been all Sony leading the way with record sales. Gamers are just as hungry as ever for fresh games and fresh ideas, and the quick-selling rates of the PS4, 3DS, and even XBox One are proving this. Microsoft, this is your chance. Summer must be yours to own, or it might be a PS2-like dominance occurring within the coming years.



Microsoft you may not be catching up, but you are at least going down the right road.

The Ninendo Smokescreen That Only Furthur Displays its Ineptitude

So Nintendo hates money.






A lot.




After revealing that they are operating at a major loss, yet again, because of the WiiU, Nintendo announces that they are remaking one of the older Pokemon games----the Ruby and Sapphire editions…….for the 3DS.

What looks to be the latest smokescreen to mask the bad financial news in the world of Nintendo, we are getting yet another Pokemon adventure for the handheld coming out this year---less than a year after Pokemon X/Y. This makes it the sixth year in a row a Nintendo handheld is getting a Pokemon game. It starts with Pokemon Platinum in 2009, and through the entire Call of Duty-like run we have seen two remakes, and a sequel.

And yet in the midst of all this, still nothing for the consoles, even if the console is the main source for all your flopping.

It is almost poetic justice that this news arrives right after the financial reports come out, because it reveals that Nintendo is losing money and then showcases one of the main reasons why. I am not saying Pokemon is going to single-handedly save the WiiU, but it would definitely bring a wild card to the table and get the ball rolling. Twitter and Facebook would have absolutely exploded if they said they have a Ruby/Sapphire remake for the WiiU in true 3-D form. Now THAT would have been a light at the end of the tunnel. Instead, we are left scratching our heads.

Not only is the remake not being in HD and in console form, but it’s not even having a chance to arrive in WiiU in any form. And it makes no sense because now we have DS Virtual Console games arriving directly to the WiiU! Pokemon X/Y has sold over 12 million copies, this is the success story the WiiU desperately needs! Why couldn’t you just remake the game and make a WiiU exclusive?


Just look at these numbers:
Pokemon Red/Blue/Yellow: 46 million
Pokemon Gold/Silver/Crystal: 29 million
Pokemon Ruby/Sapphire/Emerald: 22 million
Pokemon Red/Blue/Gold/Silver Remakes: 22 million
Pokemon Diamond/Pearl/Platinum: 25 million
Pokemon Black/White Part 1 and 2: 21 million


Want to know what they have in similarity? All handheld. The Game Boy (118 million), Game Boy Advance (81 million), and the Nintendo DS (154 million) have benefited amazingly from this franchise. Want to know how many Nintendo consoles have sold over 81 million copies?


Just the Nintendo Wii.

Why would you not want to transfer some of those ridiculously successful numbers into the console? The Wii didn’t really need it (Well, until after 2010 when Nintendo dished out approximately one game a year), but the Gamecube could’ve used some help, and the WiiU definitely needs this sort of help. The idea of a console Pokemon with online enhancements would move hardware like nothing else Nintendo has done since making a 3-D Super Mario game way back in 1996. And if you think Pokemon doesn’t transfer well in consoles, just look at the N64 days—when Pokemon Stadium sold over 5 million copies and Pokemon Snap, a low-budget spin-off, sold 3 million with minimal marketing.

Nintendo, you need to stop being stubborn, you have a gold mine just waiting to be discovered. The elusive big budget HD Pokemon game has officially become one of gaming’s biggest desires, especially after seeing that the technology can indeed be achieved. Stop with the remakes, stop with the rehashing of older Pokemon games, and start focusing on the next generation of Pokemon gaming: larger budget, larger environment, HD graphics, and a major emphasis on online play. And even if you aren’t ready for that, these upcoming Pokemon games should have at least been an option for the WiiU, at the very least.


Nintendo, you seem to hate money nowadays because you are failing to see the different ways you can earn it, even during these dark times. Pokemon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire for the 3DS (and only the 3DS) is your latest and possibly greatest example.

Mario Kart 8 and Nintendo's All-Hands-On-Deck Approach

May 30th, 2014 can be known as Nintendo’s Last Stand.


May 30th, 2014 can also be known as The Day That Saved the WiiU.


Only time will tell, but one thing is for certain: Nintendo has everything banking on Mario Kart 8 owning and conquering the summer.


Nintendo’s lineup of this year is extremely thin, and with its deficit against the PS4 rapidly increasing and its lead over the XBox One rapidly decreasing, they need to place all their wild cards on the few bright spots remaining. Mario Kart 8 is that humongous bright spot that Nintendo has recently been throwing everything at to make sure it remains in the spotlight.

Mario Kart 8 has now a bundle in multiple regions around the world, as it’s now packaged with WiiUs and also a few extra goodies (with the Europeans getting the nicer package since Sony and Microsoft have pretty much dominated the area in the past several years). The $330 price tag is extremely good, considering that $70 less than a PS4 you get a system and a game that just might be the best in the franchise (More on that in a second).

Not only that, but now Nintendo is practically, literally giving you a free game by just purchasing this one! Register the game online and before you know it, you can have your hands on Wind Waker or Pikmin or Wonderful 101 (Well, if you are in Europe). So at $330, you can get a new system, two video games, and more goodies? This is definitely the all-hands-on-deck deal we have been anticipating from Nintendo as we are seeing the continually dismal sales of the WiiU. According to VGCharts, even the XBox 360 has been outselling it in recent times.



Let’s discuss the game itself: the biggest online game ever released by Nintendo, as you can compete in tournaments, customize races with friends and strangers, and even upload gameplay footage directly online. This is arguably the most hardcore-accessible Mario Kart since the original SNES version. The Koopalings are all in the game to increase the marketing of the other Mario games out and about that gamers aren’t noticing (Super Mario 3D World and New Super Mario Bros. U are far off the usual whopping Super Mario sales numbers). This is the largest lineup of racers ever assembled in a Mario Kart game.



Nintendo is banking everything on Mario Kart to save the WiiU, everything.



The 2-D and the 2.5-D Mario franchises couldn’t do the trick, but Mario Kart just might be that savior. The SNES, N64, Gamecube, Wii, and 3DS each have their Mario Kart installments that are among the best-selling games in their generation and in the history of the system itself. Mario Kart Wii and Mario Kart DS are two of among the 20 best-selling video games in history. If there is something that sells, its plumbers in go-karts. Easy game to learn, easy game to master. Kids, parents, grandparents can play it.

But Mario Kart 8 needs to win. Smash Brothers U is too far away if this game doesn’t produce the noise.

Even the release date was meticulously planned to attempt to create the wave of success it desperately needs. It was originally slated for the spring but got moved after the disappointing 2013 holiday season. Summertime, right as schools and universities ends and free time actually exists. Although game companies prefer the September-December months to release the heavy-hitters, the summer has been kind to Nintendo. The infamous price cut of 2011 for the 3DS occurred in July, and hits like Mario Galaxy 2 and Mario Kart Wii came out in summer/close to summer.

Mario Kart 8 has the marketing, the online components that we had been begging for, the extremely diverse grouping of characters, the perfect release date, the inclusion to a bundle that doesn’t suck (Nintendo Land was a mistake and a half), and the focus and care that Nintendo should place on their hardcore fans. This is the 2014 version of Ocarina of Time, minus the epic commercial. The difference is Nintendo knew Ocarina of Time was potentially going to be the biggest and best game in history. With Mario Kart 8, it could be the biggest-seller of 2014 and finally thrust Nintendo into the as-of-now two-sided Eighth Generation console war.

And just that potential is why Nintendo is rolling out all its features, specials, and attention towards this one game. Can’t discredit them on lack of effort, that’s for sure. One thing is certain:



Mario Kart 8 is huge-success-or-bust.

The Hindering Success of the Nintendo 3DS

There was a recent interview of Koichi Hayashida on IGN talking about why the NES Remix games have not been released on the 3DS. In short words, he basically said that the 3DS doesn’t really have the technical capabilities to be able to run NES Remix. Of course reading the interview I found the answer interesting and would like to add one extra word:


Nonsense.


Total, unadulterated nonsense. The Nintendo 3DS will be running Super Smash Brothers (P.S., why is it lacking a true title?!?) on 60 FPS with no issue---and this fighter needs some major processing power to be able to replicate the Smash experience. You telling me that you can’t run a game that takes NES games (all of them 20+ years old by the way) and gives them little twists? Absolute lie. I don’t believe it in the slightest bit, sorry.

This is the truth: NES Remix would work perfectly fine on the 3DS, and to an extent should have been a strictly 3DS game with GBA or even SNES Remix occurring in the Nintendo WiiU. But the success of the 3DS is starting to directly affect the sales of the WiiU and Nintendo is beginning to see the problem.

Part of the WiiU’s failures (Trust me, there are dozens of reasons) includes the fact that it looks like the Nintendo DS on pure steroids. And while in hindsight it is a good idea since the original DS sold over 150 million copies worldwide during its epic run, it diminishes the value of the WiiU altogether. Why spend the $300 on a big DS when you can fork over half that cash and buy a system that is easy to move around with, and has a killer library of games?

Why get a WiiU that features Super Mario 3D World, Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze, Mario Kart 8, Super Smash Brothers WiiU, New Super Mario Bros. U, and the Virtual Console feature when you can get the cheaper 3DS with games like: Super Mario 3D Land, Donkey Kong Country Returns, Mario Kart 7, Super Smash Brothers 3DS, New Super Mario Bros. 1 & 2, Virtual Console, and a much bigger assortment of games?

Nintendo is making fantastic money, but it’s all coming from the 3DS. The 3DS nearly has 85% market share in the handheld field, and is steadily being able to hold off advances from the smartphones and Apple products to continue making good money---and this is without a major 3DS release currently making waves---until Smash Brothers and the inevitable Pokemon X/Y spin-off that is. The WiiU on the other hand is getting obliterated by the PS4 and has not taken off a.n.y.w.h.e.r.e., not even in the usually-reliably Japanese region.

Nintendo is not going the Sega path, since Sega failed in every field at the same time in the late 90s. Nintendo is still raking in cash, its still going to be fine in the long run even if the WiiU fails harder than the notorious Gamecube. But in order for the WiiU to have any sort of chance, it needs to distance itself from the 3DS as much as humanely possible. And NES Remix (And potentially SNES Remix, GBA Remix, N64 Remix) is part of that solution—becoming exclusive for the struggling machine.

This is why any idea that seems better-suited for the 3DS is winding up on the WiiU: GBA Virtual Console, DS Virtual Console, The Remix Games, and the long-overdue influx of indie games. Although it seems like giving more Nintendo gamers options to play these types of games, if the 3DS owners have their hands on any of these properties, they will be much less inclined to transition to the WiiU in the eighth generation of gaming.

Nintendo has totally dropped the ball in terms of upgrading the looks of their main franchises, still sticking with the 2-D, not-as-hardcore installments to their heavy-hitters like Mario and Donkey Kong—resulting in the WiiU versions feeling like mere Windows-like upgrades to the 3DS gems. Am I really going to fork over the $60 for Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze when it looks like a game that can handle itself on the 3DS?


Side Note: One of the worst things Nintendo did in the past few years is manage to condense a first-party Nintendo Wii game to the 3DS and display how behind the Wii-series of systems is compared to the PS4 and XBox One.


So it may look strange, it may look downright bizarre that all these incredible ideas that seem perfect for the forever-improving 3DS wind up on the WiiU, but it’s mainly because the console is struggling to find its footing and momentum—and it is leading to the transferring of handheld ideas to the larger machine. The 3DS is a successful piece of hardware that is all but eliminating its own best friend, Nintendo’s own WiiU. Nintendo’s shift of focus is smart and understandable, for the console market is bigger and more successful than ever (Grand Theft Auto V anyone?) and it is time to take advantage of this.




That being said, in the field of transferring handheld ideas to consoles, why is Pokemon STILL not on the radar?

The Best $150 Million to Spend in Gaming

Nintendo, Microsoft, tired of looking up at Sony this generation?



Still trying to figure out a way to catch up?



Well, I have a deal for you.


There is a Japanese company in utter shambles and is most likely available at a cheap, cheap price. Back in 2013, this company was down to a mere $150 million dollars in the bank. It is currently so bad that they are developing multiple million-dollar buildings just to do research and figure out how to turn the company around---even though the actual answer is merely release good games and don’t depend so much on the downloadable content and barrage of quickly-released remakes and re-releases. And….well….not try to drive out creative people like the folks behind the closed Clover Studio and the creator of the classic Mega Man games.

Although this company is only worth $150 million, they could still deliver you tons more in sales if you provide enough support once you purchase them. After all, this company is the main owner of:


Street Fighter
Devil May Cry
Resident Evil
Viewtiful Joe
Dead Rising
Gargoyle’s Quest
Okami
Monster Hunter
Mega Man
Mega Man X
Ghost n’ Goblins
Bionic Commando
Breath of Fire
Captain Commando
Final Fight
Lost Planet
Phoenix Wright
Power Stone

In other words, they have created a lot of profitable and potentially-profitable franchises that would be very suitable to your liking. Can you imagine being the sole owner of Street Fighter and Resident Evil? Can you imagine having the only console with Mega Man, Marvel vs. Capcom, Breath of Fire, and Monster Hunter? Can you imagine potentially being able to revive Power Stone, Viewtiful Joe, and Final Fight?

The opportunity exists. It costs only $150 million. Every major console-making company has this money lying around, and can really create some powerful dividends when you place the right minds in it.



That’s right Nintendo and Microsoft, you should buy Capcom.

Is Capcom on sale? Not really. Does it matter? Of course not. Marvel wasn’t really on sale when Disney shockingly took over. Guys, 150 million. That’s it. There are movies and video games that have had higher budgets. Grand Theft Auto 5 has a budget of roughly around the same price, and has earned 1 billion faster than any form of entertainment in history. That’s just one game that produced such a quick profit. See all the games I pointed out?

Capcom is sitting on a gold mine of ideas and possibilities, but has been run by all the wrong people. Delivering the right staff and supporting it with the proper amount of money and effort and you will see magical profits soar. Do remember that Street Fighter is one of the top fighting game franchises in gaming history, Resident Evil is the top horror game franchise out there, and Mega Man has sold nearly 30 million copies since its original conception in the NES days.

Can you imagine Final Fight 7 for the WiiU and 3DS exclusively? Can you imagine

Nintendo (The company that is far more suitable in making this purchase), Microsoft, listen up. Capcom is a wreck that can still make you good money. Open up the checkbook and lay that money down. You’ll be happy you did.


P.S. This article was the extremely long-delayed part 2 of my series about Capcom.